MSc Health Psychology
In your MSc, you will develop the listed knowledge and skills through the following different units. By the end of the course, you should be able to confidently demonstrate to employers where and how you developed these skills.
(Please note that these intended learning objectives have been modified for the toolkit and may vary in wording from the handbook)
​
Units include: Stress and Developmental Influences on Health and Illness; Health-related cognitions, behaviours and beliefs; Experience of chronic illness and the delivery of healthcare; Advanced Research Methods; Advanced Statistics; Key Transferrable Skills; Research Project; Placement
The MSc Health Psychology involves a compulsory placement which aims to provide experience of working professionally in a health-related setting, usually in an academic, clinical or public health context. The Placement unit contains a range of lectures to prepare students for the Placement. The staff who teach on the MSc Health Psychology have links with a range of local services that are able to offer placements. These include the Steps 2 Wellbeing Service (focus on physical health conditions), Dorset Council (health promotion), an Eating Disorders Service, a Young People’s Diabetes Service, and a Child Psychology service. Relevant staff within the department also offer research placements. For example, in 2019-2020 one student worked as a research assistant on a project looking at the links between autism and eating disorders.
​
Click here to find out more about placements
​
For MSc students aiming to apply for Stage 2 training in the future (in order to become a Health Psychologist), a suitable job is usually a pre-requisite, as this training is often carried out alongside an appropriate full- or part-time job (e.g., teaching assistant, research assistant, health promotion roles).
​
Many students also wish to go on to clinical psychology training in the future, with a view to working in clinical health psychology, for which gaining clinical work experience is essential. An ideal form of experience to prepare for applying for Clinical Psychology doctoral training is to have paid employment as an Assistant Psychologist working alongside a Clinical Psychologist in the NHS. Another very good form of work experience is working in NHS IAPT (Increased Access to Psychological Therapy) services as a Psychological Wellbeing Practitioner. However, there is a great deal of competition to attain one of these kinds of jobs, so students often need to work their way up a hierarchy of work experience as follows:
​
1. Voluntary work in any physical or mental health or relevant clinical or educational setting including care homes, NHS hospital wards, special schools, nurseries etc.
​
2. Voluntary work in the NHS with a health or clinical psychologist or with IAPT service clinicians.
​
3. Paid work in any physical mental health or relevant clinical or educational setting including mental health charities, care homes, NHS mental health hospital wards, special schools, nurseries etc.
​
4. Paid work in the NHS either as an Assistant Psychologist or as an IAPT worker.
​
The higher up this hierarchy you can start, the better! To that end, some health and social care providers have part-time posts that can provide good experience for MSc students. For example, NHS trusts and other healthcare providers often have part-time Health Care Assistant posts that might be relevant.
The majority of the 2019-20 cohort worked part-time alongside their degree, in paid roles such as support workers and healthcare assistants. One of our part-time students is currently working as a Student Health Officer at a local college.
Our accredited MSc in Health Psychology provides Stage 1 of the training to become registered as a Health Psychologist with the Health and Care Professions Council. Stage 2 training is usually completed through a university, and either involves attending between weekly and monthly alongside a suitable job or being registered for a full-time doctorate in Health Psychology. NHS Scotland offers a two-year programme which has a few fully funded places every year.
Many students use the MSc in Health Psychology as a stepping-stone to Clinical Psychology training, with a view to working as Clinical Psychologists specialising in individuals with physical health problems.
There are also a range of relevant health promotion roles with local councils or healthcare services. An example is working as a social prescriber (from a GP surgery, taking referrals to support vulnerable people to live independently). See here for further information.
In addition, MSc Health Psychology graduates also pursue careers as researchers and academics, focussing on health-related topics. This usually involves studying for a PhD that addresses physical health and wellbeing, health promotion or a similar issue. A PhD would open up access to university-based post-doctoral research jobs, research fellowships, and eventually, university lecturer/researcher posts.
One of the 2019-20 cohort has been offered a graduate psychology role within a learning disability hospital, tailored to gaining experience for further study and training.
​
Links to professional bodies:
BPS Division of Health Psychology
BPS Division of Clinical Psychology
BPS Division of Clinical Psychology Faculty of Clinical Health Psychology